Facade
by Warui-Usagi
Summary: A series of short stories from the perspective of those friends and family that Bella was forced to leave behind. Have they managed to cope with her absence? And how are their lives progressing without her? Chapter 2 now posted.
1. Angela and Ben, Part I

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**Façade****: Chapter 1  
****Angela and Ben**** (Part 1)**

_Warui-Usagi_

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x x x

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_'Deceiving others…That is what the world calls a romance.'_

_**--Oscar Wild**__**e**__**

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x x x 

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It was pouring the day Ben and I caught a taxi to the Seattle airport, the rain coming down so hard on the windshield that I didn't know how the cab driver was able to find his way along the winding roads. Somehow, though, we made it. We were dropped off at the curb of the departures lounge with our luggage, and so we made our way inside quickly—where it was substantially warmer—and headed for the check-in counter. Ben was muttering the whole time under his breath about how stifling the rain was, and I couldn't help but laugh. The rain never bothered me, and I knew why. It always reminded me of home. When it rained in Seattle, I was never homesick. When I saw 'Forks' roll lazily across the departures board, I couldn't help but smile.

Ben noticed. "Someone's happy to be going home," he said with an easy grin.

"Of course," I replied, beaming at the thought. "I haven't seen my parents and friends in almost a year. Aren't you excited to be seeing everyone again?"

"Yes," he agreed. "But with reservations. I think you remember how overbearing my parents can be at times, Ang." He winced slightly as he thought about that, chuckling despite himself.

I tried to give him what I hoped was a sympathetic look in return. I _did _remember. Sometimes Ben's mother and father did forget that their son was legally an adult now, and did baby him about often, but I always thought that was just because they cared about him so much—he was there only son, after all—and didn't want him getting into any kind of trouble. They were some of the nicest people I'd ever known, and they were always so kind to me.

"It'll be interesting to see who else has come home for the summer," Ben continued as we loaded our luggage onto the conveyer belts and collected our tickets. "I wonder how everyone's doing?"

I had to think about it for a moment. "I know Jessica, Lauren, Tyler and Eric are going to be there. They emailed me last week to let me know. Mike's been helping his parents out with their shop, so he's still in Forks. I haven't heard from anyone else." I frowned when I remembered exactly _who_it was that I would have liked to hear from the most. I hadn't seen or heard anything from Bella and the Cullen's since they all packed up and left after Edward and Bella's wedding almost a year ago. I didn't have her phone number, and every time I tried to send her an email, it bounced back.

"Did you ever hear anything from the Cullen's?" Ben asked, echoing my thoughts.

I shook my head, and I could feel my frown deepening. "No, not a thing."

"That's a little strange," he continued, looking confused. "I know the Cullen's weren't particularly social, but Bella doesn't seem like the kind of person who would just disappear."

"That's what I think," I said, nodding. "But it doesn't matter. I'm sure she's just been so preoccupied with college and Edward that she's just forgotten to let us know she's okay. And besides, Chief Swan will know where she is."

"You're right," Ben agreed, wrapping his arm around me and giving me a quick peck on the cheek. I automatically flushed. "In fact, Bella and the Cullen's are probably on their way home just like the rest of us are."

It wasn't a long flight to Forks and as soon as the plane landed, the mild excitement I'd been feeling about going home for the summer suddenly exploded inside my chest. I'd get to see my mom, dad and the twins again! I couldn't believe how strange it actually felt to be coming home. I thought that perhaps it had something to do with having lived in a city for so long…coming back to a small, isolated country town—even if this was my home—seemed a little arbitrary. I felt bad for thinking it as soon as we disembarked and I saw my family waiting for me off to one side in the arrival's lounge.

"Mom! Dad!" I almost screamed, throwing myself eagerly into their waiting arms. I felt the twins wrap their arms tightly around my waist.

"Hi, sweetie," my dad said in his usual quiet voice. "How was your time in the city?"

"Great!" It was difficult to talk. The twins were already jumping up and down and pulling at my clothes, clamouring for my attention. I smiled reassuringly at my mom just before she was about to tell them to calm down, and then I turned around and swooped them both up into my arms and hugged them as hard as I could. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw that Ben had found his parents, too. He met my gaze with a visible cringe, and I smiled ruefully back. At least his mother was happy to see him—she was crying so much that Ben's father, Mark, actually had to sit her down for a few minutes until she calmed down.

"Ready to go home, sweetheart?" my mom asked when the twins finally let me go.

"Yes."

She pulled me into the circle of her arm and kissed me on the forehead as we walked out to the car. I hugged her back with as much strength as I could muster. I could only think about one thing as my parents drove the very familiar road back to our house—the twins already fighting in the seat next to me—and helped me take my luggage up to my room…

It was so _good_ to be home.

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x x x

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It was a few days later when I was organized enough to meet up with my friends from high school. Ben and I had arranged to meet Mike, Tyler, Eric, Austin, Lauren and Jessica at First Beach; a sort of nostalgic reunion, as I liked to think of it. The weather had been good lately, and we didn't want to wait too long, for fear that it would disappear if we didn't hurry. And it was already starting to disappear, I saw when I drove into the small parking lot. Huge, dark grey clouds sat ominously on the horizon, despite the sun shining overhead. 

Mike still looked the same as ever, his short and spiky blonde hair painstakingly styled into a careful disarray. He'd certainly grown since I'd last seen him—a foot at least. And he was still all smiles and jokes. Austin was busy catching up with Ben, so I didn't get to see him much, but Lauren and Jessica _seemed_ happy to talk to me. Lauren had outgrown her pixie cut; her incredibly light golden hair was almost down to her shoulders now, and beautifully layered. Jessica's brown curls were as wild and long as they ever were, and personality wise, Jessica hadn't changed one bit. She was babbling at me before I was even in earshot.

"…I mean, California is totally amazing, Angela. You'd love it! The sun is shining all the time—not like here in Forks or Seattle, where it never seems to stop raining—and there was the _cutest_ guy in my HR class. I swear to God, he was just the most wonderful person I'd ever met! He offered me a ride home after class that day, and then we had the most fantastic first date that I've ever had in my life! He took me to this beautiful restaurant…"

"Hey, Angela," Lauren greeted me, cutting Jessica off in the middle of her story. Jessica frowned at Lauren, but Lauren ignored her.

"Hey guys," I said with a tentative smile. "How have you been?"

"Pretty good," Lauren said in her nasal voice, looking around the shore of the beach. "Are we expecting anyone else?"

"Not that I know of," I said uncertainly, following her gaze. "It seems only a few of us have come home for summer."

Lauren breathed a loud sigh of relief. "That's good. I thought I'd have to endure the company of Mr and _Mrs_ Cullen for three months," she said scathingly. "Ugh. Can you imagine anything worse, Jess? Married at _eighteen_! She's probably already had a baby by now." She scoffed.

Jessica made a show shuddering and pretending to be sick. They both laughed. I just walked away. I couldn't stand listening to them berate my best friends.

I didn't stay much longer after that. I checked in quickly with everyone else. Tyler was at Peninsula Community College, doing some kind of social science. I found out from Mike that Lauren was doing Journalism at some university in Phoenix, and Jessica was attending HR classes at a college in Sacramento. Eric had gotten a part-time job nearby in order to wait for Katie to graduate before they went off to College together, which I thought was incredibly sweet. Mike said business was the same as always—busy in the summer and slow the rest of the year. He asked after Bella, but I told him exactly what I'd told Ben. He seemed more disappointed than I thought he should have been, but we had a laugh and then after checking in with Ben, I left. I'd ask him about Austin later. No doubt he'd seen some _awesome _kung-fu movies since they'd last met up, I thought with an internal cringe.

As soon as I got in the car though, I knew I didn't feel like going home. It was only early afternoon, and the twins would be causing an uproar in the house right about now, just before they went for their nap. And the more I thought about it, the more I could see Lauren and Angela had probably brought up Edward and Bella just to get a reaction out of me. I glared at them through the windscreen, watching as they both flirted with the boys and laughed loudly at some joke.

I couldn't get out of there fast enough.

And so feeling rather irritated and unsatisfied with my day, I started to make my way home. I took the long route, in the hopes that by the time I walked into the house the twins would already be asleep. It was just when I was about to turn out onto the small main road back to my house that I saw the little cream-colored, two bedroom house with the 1950's Chevy truck and police cruiser sitting out in the driveway. I pulled over quickly and jumped out of my car without even thinking about it. I'd heard nothing from anyone about Bella and her new family's being in town, so that led me to assume that she hadn't come back to Forks for the summer like I'd hoped. Her truck was still there, but then I remembered she never took it with her when she left, saying she'd need it to use when she came back for holidays…

The clouds were well and truly swirling overhead now—the sure sign of a storm. A sudden gust of wind sent my hair lashing against my face, and so I quickly ducked back into my car and reached across the passenger seat for my jacket, before I dashed up onto the porch of Bella's house. As soon as I'd slipped into my jacket I knocked, anxious as I waited to see who would answer the door. Chief Swan answered it a few moments later, his rather glum looking expression softening with a smile when his eyes finally came to rest on me.

"Angela Webber!" he said, clearly surprised. "How are you, hon?"

"Pretty good, thanks, Chief Swan. I hope I'm not bothering you."

"Please, call me Charlie," he said with another easy smile. "And you're never a bother," he reassured me.

"Charlie," I said, smiling back. "Is Bella home for the summer?"

As soon as I said the words, I already knew the answer just by reading his face. His smile faded, and the sadness in his eyes intensified. "I'm sorry, sweetie. She isn't here, but why don't you come in and I'll explain everything to you over a cup of hot chocolate or something, eh? You look like you could do with a warm up."

"I'd love to." Charlie stood aside to let me through, and I made my way into the small lounge room and sat down on the couch.

It was only then I realized that I'd never been to Bella's house before in the whole two years I'd known her. It was a neat little place, and even though the furniture wasn't new, it still had a very homey feel. The shelf above the tiny little fireplace was filled with pictures—pictures I remember Bella making her father put away while she was living here. He'd obviously put them back out again now that she'd moved out, and as my eyes scanned the tiny living room, I saw some on the walls as well. The ones above the fireplace were easy enough to guess at, because my parents had mine laid out in _exactly_ the same fashion: Bella's school photo's every year, leading right up to her graduation portrait. There were a few extra ones I spotted as well. Obviously what was Charlie's wedding photo. I'd met Bella's mother, Renee, before when she attended Bella's wedding. I had marvelled then at how much she'd looked like her daughter. Seventeen years ago, the resemblance was even stronger.

What reinforced this even more was that beside Charlie's wedding photo, hanging on the wall directly in-line with it, was his daughter's wedding photo. Bella had looked so beautiful, I remembered with a sigh…and so _happy_. I'd never seen someone so euphoric before. It was almost as if, over the two years they were together, they'd kept their affection for each suppressed somehow. Not that anyone who watched those two could doubt how very much in love they were but…On their wedding day, the way they looked at each other had blown everyone away. Love like that…I'd never seen it before.

"Here you go—Oh, sorry, Angela. Didn't mean to scare you." I'd jumped about a foot of the couch when his loud voice cut through the silence of the house.

"That's okay," I told him, gratefully taking my hot chocolate and eagerly wrapping my cold hands around it. "Thanks."

Charlie sat down with a grunt in the chair across from me, his expression unreadable. It was quiet for a few minutes, as he seemed to be gathering his thoughts. I looked away for a second to take a swig of hot cocoa.

"So how's life in the big city?" he asked me suddenly. "You enjoying college?"

"Life's great, and I actually really like living in the city. It's very convenient. College is going well, I suppose. Law is hard, though." I winced openly when I thought about my finals. I hope I hadn't messed them up too much.

"I'm sure you did just fine, kiddo. Your father always tells me what a bright girl you are."

"Thank you," I said nervously. I couldn't figure out what embarrassed me more; the fact that my dad talked about me to all his friends, or Charlie's compliment.

It was quiet after that, and the silence started to turn uncomfortable. I'd been waiting for Charlie to tell me about what was happening with his daughter of his own accord, but I was strangely anxious, and more than a little worried for some reason I couldn't explain.

"So, Charlie," I started, "How's Bella been doing lately?"

"She's not been too good these past few weeks," he said, starting to look just as anxious as I felt. "Seems she caught pneumonia, of all things."

"_Pneumonia_?" I repeated in shock.

"Yeah." Charlie sighed heavily. "Carlisle assures me that she'll be alright, and that she's being looked after to the best of his family's ability, which I don't doubt. All the Cullen's seem to be very fond of Bella." His eyes darted away, to the pictures hanging on the wall. It was awhile again before he spoke. "I talked to her on the phone a couple of days ago, and she sounded horrible. Her voice was real raspy, and she kept groaning all the time. I asked her if she wanted me to come visit—I have nearly twenty years of sick leave I've never used—but she said not to worry, which was a little hard, considering how she sounded. Mind you, if _I _was worried, Bella's mother was almost hysterical. I was on the phone to her for almost two hours on Bella's behalf, trying to get her to calm down." He chuckled, and then sighed. "I know that Carlisle will do whatever it takes to get her better. He's probably the most selfless person on the planet." He snorted. "Don't know if I could say the same thing about his son, though."

So it was just as Bella had said when she'd told me she was engaged. I was so happy for her, but Charlie had made no secret to anyone of how he felt about his daughter's wedding. I'll admit, it was a little early, but it was impossible to doubt how those two felt about each other. I shook my head, amazed when I remembered how Edward watched her. You'd think he was a blind man seeing the world for the first time. It was incredible. I never doubted for even a second that she wouldn't be looked after.

But I _did_ always felt like there was some secret world hidden underneath their enigmatic smiles, like there was so much more meaning to their words then everyone else thought there was…and it seemed only Bella ever really knew what they were talking about, or what was happening. The Cullen's had never sort attention of any kind, so I was more than a little surprised when they started talking to Ben and me…And while at first they seemed rather intimidating with their extraordinary beauty, I soon began to realize that I'd never met kinder people in all my life—especially Alice, I thought with a smile. They deserved none of the hostility they used to receive from everyone at school on a daily basis. The Cullen's just cherished their family's privacy above everything else, and I had always considered that a remarkable trait, because it showed just how much they all cared about each other.

"So what's Bella been studying?" I asked, hoping to steer the conversation away from Edward. It didn't seem to put Bella's father in a very good mood.

"She's been studying psychology of all things, if you can believe it," Charlie said, clearly warming to this particular topic of conversation quite quickly. His eyes brightened as he looked at me, and it was then with a sudden burst of intuition that I realized just how proud Charlie was of his daughter—how much he loved her…and as much as he'd tried to hide it earlier, how _lonely_ he was now that Bella was gone. No matter how justified Bella's absence was, I could also see he was extremely disappointed about not having her around for the summer. I remembered that Bella had been worried about how her dad would cope after she left. She'd seemed more upset about the idea than I thought she should have been. I mean, it wasn't like she'd never see him again or anything, right?

"…Didn't think she'd been into that kind of thing," Charlie continued, oblivious of my riviere. "But then she's always managed to surprise me." He stopped for a second after that, and then continued hesitantly. "Edward's doing some kind of Medical degree. I still don't know why he wouldn't go and do it at Harvard or Dartmouth when he had the opportunity." He looked away then, and I in no way believed for even a second that he didn't know the answer to that question. It was blindingly obvious to anyone who knew him why Edward hadn't chosen an Ivy League education.

"How's Alice?" I asked eagerly.

"Good, good. The sweet little thing was accepted into some fashion design school up there in Juneau. Other than that she's the same as ever, or so I hear." He laughed. "That girl never does things halfway. I'll always be grateful to her for doing Bella's wedding. It was really…nice."

"Yeah, it was," I agreed wholeheartedly. I downed most of my hot chocolate then, sensing that the conversation was coming to a close. There were just a few more questions I wanted to ask before I left.

"Uh…Charlie, you wouldn't happen to have Bella's phone number, would you?"

"I don't believe I do," he admitted after a moment. "Bella checks in regularly, and while I would _like_ to have a phone number, I can completely understand why the Cullen's don't have one."

When he saw my confused expression, he started to explain. "You remember what that family was like," he told me softly in his gruff voice. "Hiking all the time. From what they've told me, they always lose their cell-phones, and are always buying new ones. They've never had a permanent number where they live. Esme said she won't have one because she doesn't like people harassing Carlisle all the time; he's busy enough as it is right now. Can't say that I blame her, either," he went on, lost in the explanation. "It wouldn't surprise me if people tried to take advantage of him. He _always_ puts everyone else before himself."

"Oh." I'd never thought of it that way. When he said it like that, it did make sense.

"Does she have an email address?" I continued hopefully.

"As far as I know, she email's her mother. I'll see if I can get her address for you the next time she calls."

"Thanks," I said in earnest. "I'd really appreciate that." And now that I knew what was happening, I just had to hope that Bella would get better quickly and be back here in time for Thanksgiving. I really did miss her a lot. I must have looked more anxious than I thought, because Charlie seemed to pick up on it.

"I wouldn't worry about her too much, sweetie. She'll be better in no time…or at least, I hope so. I know I should be respecting Bella's wishes and staying away unless she wants me to go and visit her, no matter how much I miss her—she's married, now and has her own life. You can't hold onto them forever…" his voice suddenly became thicker. Heavier. "…But letting go is harder than I thought."

"Do you think Bella will be here for Thanksgiving and Christmas?" I asked lightly, hoping to distract him. My voice sounded incredibly fake in my own ears.

It worked though. Charlie looked back at me again, snorting. "Who knows? Like I said, that family loves travelling. From what Bella's told me, she's already seen most of America and even some of Europe." He shook his head, clearly amazed for a second before his face shifted into a more sombre expression. "Of course I would love it if she _did _come for Christmas or Thanksgiving, but I don't want her to feel like she _has _to, either. Besides, I usually work holidays." He shrugged. "Someone has to."

"Oh. Okay. Well, if Bella calls…can you tell her I said 'hi' for me? And tell her I can't wait to see her again."

He smiled. "Sure thing."

Charlie watched and waved as I hopped into my car and drove away. I was feeling beyond relieved now that I knew Bella would be okay, and that I _would _see her again. I enjoyed the rest of my summer with Ben and my family, and before I knew it, I was heading back to Seattle to start another year of college.

But when Ben and I returned to Forks for Thanksgiving, Bella and the Cullen's weren't there. They didn't show up for Christmas, either. I couldn't deny how disappointed I was, because it seemed that I'd always hoped they'd be there, even when I'd told myself repeatedly not to be surprised if they weren't.

I didn't check in with Charlie this time, but news of the Cullen's absence and the reasons behind it travelled quickly in this small town. My mother told me that Bella and Edward had accelerated their studies—attending summer school and extra classes in the hopes of graduating sooner. I was happy for her—she really was working hard to get her life in order. And that completely explained why she hadn't been able to see her family. She'd been so busy, and I was also pleased to find that she'd recovered from her pneumonia as well. I was optimistic about this new information. If the Cullen's had been working this hard at their studies, then they were bound to come and spend a bit of time in Forks before they found themselves full-time jobs. I'd finally get to see them all again.

Time continued to fly by, and every year for the next three years I went home every summer, Thanksgiving and Christmas, only to find that Bella and Cullen's never came. When I checked on Chief Swan, he told me Bella's calls had become less and less frequent, and now he was lucky to hear from her every few months. Bella and Edward had found jobs straight out of college, and were living in England, now. Bella was a full-time therapist, and Edward was working as an intern in a hospital in London; following in his father's profession.

It bothered me that Bella and the Cullen's didn't seem inclined to stay in contact with anyone other than their family, but they were obviously incredibly busy, and my mother had always told me that high school friends drifted apart. It was an inevitable part of moving on with life, she'd said. It was true enough; I had a couple of great friends at university—including Ben's wonderful support—but I did still always wonder now and then how Bella was doing.

And it seemed that before I could even blink, I was graduating from college, too. The Vice Chancellor handed me my Law degree, and then everyone was clapping so loudly that I couldn't hear a thing. My parents were rushing forward to give me a hug and congratulate me and then…and then…

Ben proposed. I was engaged.

I found a job almost straight away in a medium-sized firm close to Seattle, and after the small friends-and-family-only ceremony Ben and I had for our wedding and the honeymoon in Hawaii, we bought an apartment together for easy commuting to and from work. Ben worked for an advertising agency on the other side of town, so we tried to get as close to the city as we possibly could. Our life fell quickly into a comfortable routine and we were very happy.

Tonight was just the same as every other night. I'd gotten caught up in my work again until well after 9pm, and just like it always was in Seattle, it was pouring rain outside. I packed up as soon as I finished, and locked up the building. The sudden roar of the rain was strangely comforting after the dead silence of my office and as soon as I found my umbrella, I began the five-block walk back to the apartment. The street was oddly quiet, tonight; the only thing I could hear was the sound of the rain slamming against the pavement, and as I rounded the corner and started heading past the huge, forest-like park, the rain was suddenly engulfed by the trees and crickets, becoming only background noise. The look of the forest in the dark always made the hairs on the back of my neck stand on end, and so I hurried past as quickly as I could, finally allowing myself to relax a little when my apartment was within site.

The feeling didn't last long, though. A huge, booming laugh sliced through the uncomfortably quiet night. I instinctively gasped at the noise…and instantly knew that it was too loud. The laugh cut off abruptly into a low, quick hiss. I knew then that it wasn't just one person. It was a group; a few other voices joined in the harsh whispering, though I couldn't understand w word of it over the roar of the rain. I started walking much faster, then; I was almost running in my desperation to get out of there. It wasn't easy in the heels I was wearing—I almost tripped several times—and while they didn't appear to be following me, I didn't want to be taking any chances.

"Watch out!" one of them called suddenly—a girl—and before I could even look around to see what she meant, my feet slipped on the wet pavement and I lost my balance. I fell sideways, my arms reaching out instinctively to catch my fall, the umbrella in my hand forgotten. I felt the snap as soon as my palm hit the cement, and cried out as the pain shot its way up my right arm. It had to be broken. As I struggled to my feet in the pouring rain, I tried to wipe the soaked air from my face so I could find my handbag and my phone.

I couldn't find it anywhere.

The indistinguishable muttering behind me started again, sending my heart thudding erratically against my rib cage. What were they going to do to me now that I was hurt? Would they take the opportunity to mug me, or would they leave me alone? A little voice in my head told me that people standing around in parks at this hour usually weren't after money, and probably wanted something much, much worse.

I was so terrified of all the possible scenarios, that when one of them of them appeared suddenly in front of me, my automatic response was to scream.

"Shhh, it's okay," they said in a very soothing, velvety voice, bending down on her knees to meet me face to face. "I'm not going to hurt you. I'm here to help. Your apartment is just up here, right?"

"Y-yes," I stammered, trying unsuccessfully to make the woman's expression out. It was covered by a dark hood with her long and wet dark hair plastered to the sides of her face. She kept her eyes hidden in the shadow of her cloak. It was the same girl who had called out after me before I fell, I assumed. The only thing I could see clearly under the lamplight was that she had very pale skin—her arms were as white as snow.

"Can you get up by yourself?" she asked in that melodic voice again. When she spoke like that, it made it impossible to be afraid of her.

"No. I think my wrist is broken," I murmured.

I didn't know how she heard me over the roar of the rain, but she replied easily enough. "Alright then. Let me help you up."

I watched as she reached out toward me, her arms curling around my torso and lifting me effortlessly to my feet. I shivered violently underneath her touch—her hands were colder than the rain.

"Th…Thank-you," I stuttered when I could stand straight. I shuddered again.

"I'm sorry," she said, though I couldn't imagine what for. She almost sounded angry for some reason. "You're freezing because of me. Hear—" In one fluid movement she slid out of her full length hood and cloak and wrapped it tightly around my shoulders. At first, I didn't notice anything else other than the fact that inside the coat—though it was dry—was just as cold as her hands had been. I was even colder than I was before. It wasn't until a few moments later when I started to warm up that I actually looked at the face I couldn't see before.

It had to be a dream.

My mouth fell open with a little popping sound when I recognised who it was. Standing there under the lamplight, looking more like she was a model posing for a fashion add with her now-soaked chocolate hair hanging beautifully around her sharply defined and incredibly pale face, was the girl who had been my very best friend through all of high school. She looked so _different_ and yet still the same. She looked _exactly _like…but I didn't know how that was possible.

"_Bella_?"

She smiled at me, flashing some very white teeth. Impulsively, I took a few steps back.

"Hello, Angela. It's good to see you again."

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**A/N: **The idea for this series came to me after I'd finished reading Eclipse for the 26th time (yes, I keep a tally), and I thought to myself, just how _is _Bella going to fend off people wanting to get in contact with her—_especially_ her parents—after she goes off to "College" in Juneau with Edward and the rest of the Cullen's? 

Why is Bella in Seattle? Well, why not? It rains all the time, so she's safe there during the day. That, and I'm trying to come up with plausible situations in which she meets up with her family and friends. She'd have to in order to avoid suspicion or in Renee's case, a global FBI search. I'm already well into the next chapter of this—I couldn't _wait_ to keep writing, so it should be up in a few days. They'll be one more chapter with Angela and Ben observing Bella, and then I plan to do Renee then Charlie, then Jessica, Mike and Lauren and last but not least, _maybe_ Jacob. I say maybe, because I suspect he'll imprint on someone in Breaking Dawn, and seeing as this story is kinda set _after _Breaking Dawn, I might decide not to. I'm anally cannon, and until Stephenie herself makes up a girl for Jacob to fall in love with, I won't be writing about his imprinting on anyone I've made up.

So, there you go. Hope you enjoyed the opening chapter. Any criticism is heartedly appreciated.

Warui-Usagi


	2. Angela and Ben, Part II

**Façade: Chapter 2  
Angela and Ben, Part 2**

_Warui-Usagi_

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x x x

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'_It turns out that an eerie type of chaos can lurk just behind a façade of order –_

_And yet, deep inside the chaos lurks an even eerier type of order.'_

_**--Douglas Hostadter**_

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x x x

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I swallowed hard, the rain in my eyes making it difficult to see her.

"Angela? Are you okay?" she was saying in an unbelievably coxing voice. "You look as though you're going to pass out."

I was only faintly aware of the pain in my arm now. The whole thing felt surreal, especially because I couldn't focus on her properly. She seemed to sort of blur as she moved, the lamplight casting strange silhouettes across the pavement. I could feel the wonder and surprise on my face. How could she look so _different _and yet, in some way, _exactly _the same as she had three years ago? And not that Bella had never been pretty, but now she was a thing of glorious, intimidating beauty. I was scared—that much I couldn't deny, but the impulse to run felt slightly ridiculous. How could I possibly be in danger from _Bella _of all people?

"Alright, then. Guess I'll just have to drag you home," she grumbled, sounding a little irritated.

Her tone was enough to drag me out of my stupor, but she was very quick. I felt her suddenly snatch my hand before I had time to even react, and started dragging me along awkwardly behind her. Just like the last time she'd touched me, I shivered.

She noticed. "We're almost there," she soothed.

That brought something to my attention. "How do you know where I live?" I asked her when I could find my voice.

She shrugged, still looking ahead. I couldn't see her face. "I just assumed you lived up here, because it's the only set of apartment blocks until much further up. You wouldn't be walking if you lived any further away."

"Oh." I suppose that made sense.

"What are you doing out this late?" she asked in a conversational voice. She was being very polite, and it bothered me for some reason I couldn't place.

"Working. I…I work late most nights."

"What do you do?" I could hear the frown in her voice.

"I'm a lawyer," I told her. I wished I could see her face.

"Oh. Well, that explains it," she said, suddenly turning to flash another dazzling smile at me. "You always were a hard worker in high school."

"Ye—Yeah," I mumbled, feeling like quite the idiot when I couldn't look away. Bella averted her eyes quickly after that, and as soon as I was free from her spell, my gaze drifted to the ground, ashamed and embarrassed.

"Where have you been?" I was dying to know, but I was mostly speaking in order to keep the air between us from feeling too awkward. I had to admit, this was never how I had imagined meeting up with Bella again. When I'd accepted the fact that I probably wouldn't see her come back to Forks, I'd always imagined that we might meet completely by chance on a random street, perhaps have a coffee, catch up and rekindle our friendship. I hadn't expected to meet her on an abandoned street, late at night while it was pouring rain…and in _Seattle_, of all places. It made me wonder why _she_ was out here. And where were Edward and Alice?

"We're here," she announced, stopping just outside on the street. "Do you have a key to get inside?"

"Yes, but I don't need it. Ben should be home now—just knock and he should answer."

But instead she stepped aside, moving underneath the large tree fig tree that grew on the small lawn outside my door—the shade completely obscuring her face and body from any kind of light—and gestured for me to knock. I was puzzled, but didn't argue. I was too cold and uncomfortable to pay much attention to anything. I knocked quickly and no sooner than three seconds later Ben answered the door, a look of pure relief on his face.

"Thank God, Ang!" he cried, wrapping me in a big hug and kissing my cheek. "What in the world happened to you? I was starting to get really worried."

"Sorry," I mumbled into his shoulder, keeping my arm well away from his clumsy hands as he held me tighter. "I slipped and fell on my wrist. I think it's broken."

"_What_?" he said, alarmed. "Let me see." He let me go quickly, fumbling for my injured hand. He gave up when I wouldn't let him touch it. I showed it to him though and watched as he carefully examined it, squinting through the dim porch light. "I think you're right about breaking it—it's already really swollen." Ben looked up at me then, a warm smile lighting up his lips. I almost laughed, seeing him standing there in a baggy shirt, boxer shorts and a pair of glasses that were constantly sliding down his nose. "Let's get you inside and warm you up, yeah? And maybe I should pick you up from work from now on. I don't like the idea of you walking home at this hour."

He wrapped his arms around me and started leading me into the house. "Oh, crap!" I started, feeling _incredibly_ rude when I realized that I'd completely forgotten about my friend and helper left standing out in the rain. _Stupid, stupid Angela!_

"What is it?" Ben asked anxiously.

I whirled on my feet, wrapped Bella's cloak tightly around my shoulders with my good arm, and dashed back out into the rain and underneath the tree. Ben called after me, but I ignored him.

"I'm so sorry! That was so neglectful of me!" I exclaimed, not exactly sure if I was talking to anyone. I could barely see anything.

A quiet, melodic laughter tinkled in my ears like bells. "That's okay," came the reply, "I'm just glad that you're home safe, now."

"Would you like to come in and dry off?" I asked, desperately hoping that she'd say yes.

"Hmmm…I think I'd better be getting back, actually. The others will be wondering where I am." I didn't understand her tone. She sounded serious enough, but something in her voice made me think she was smiling. It made me wish for the millionth time that night that I could see her face.

"Do you think you could stay for a little bit?" I pleaded, hoping that I wasn't imposing too much. "I mean, you don't have to. I'd understand if you were busy, but I haven't seen you for so long, and I've missed you a lot—I've wanted to talk to you for the longest time…"

There was no immediate response. Ben had finally come after me, curious I supposed, to see why I was talking to a tree. "What are you _doing_? Are you crazy?" he asked, angry, now. "You'll catch pneumonia or something if stay out here much longer."

I couldn't be certain because it was so quiet, but I thought I heard Bella giggle. I ignored Ben for the second time.

"Bella?"

"_What_?" Ben interrupted before she had the chance to answer, his eyes almost bulging out of his head. "_Bella_ is here?!"

I heard her sigh heavily. "Yes, Ben. It's me."

"Why don't you come over here where we can see you? Why are you hiding?"

"I'm not hiding," she laughed. It didn't pass my notice that she ignored the first question. "I wouldn't be talking to you otherwise."

"Well why don't you come on in?" Ben invited her, sounding rather eager all of a sudden. "We'd love to have you stay for a little while. Angela especially."

Again, she didn't answer straight away. A strange, fierce rumbling sound seemed to be coming from up in the trees. Instinctively, I took a big step back, knocking right into Ben as I did so. He held me steady so I didn't fall over, but all I wanted to do right now was get inside. I tried to rationalize my strange fear by thinking quickly though the animals we had in the area that could possibly be making such a noise. I'd never heard anything like it while Ben and I had been living here. I didn't think possums were that loud, or racoons, but I could have been wrong. The growling continued for a few more moments before it finally fell silent again, but I couldn't even hear the crickets this time.

"How about I come back in an hour or so?" Bella finally suggested warily. "For one thing, I think you'd appreciate the chance to clean up a little, Angela. For another, there are some things I need to fix up before I return." I would have liked to know what she was planning to do, but Bella didn't seem inclined to explain.

"Alright," I agreed, actually seeing that I probably _would _prefer to talk to her when I was feeling a little more human again.

"See you soon," she said. I expected to hear her sloshing her way back over towards the pavement, but I couldn't hear a thing. It was abruptly, deathly silent.

"Bella?" I called dumbly after a few moments of uneasy silence. She didn't answer, but the crickets started chirping again. I couldn't believe it. "Where'd she go?" I mumbled.

"You've got me," Ben answered, sounding just as confused. "But I'll tell you one thing, Ang," he said, wrapping his big arms around my shoulders and leading me back towards the apartment. "That girl's changed a _lot_."

"I know," I whispered, relaxing the instant I stepped inside; the warm air felt so _good _after being so cold. "She's very different to how she used to be. Do you think that's a good thing?"

"Honestly, it's hard to tell," Ben said after a moment of thought, following me into the bedroom to dry off. "Bella was acting pretty strange."

"I hope everything's okay—that we didn't inconvenience her in any way…"

"Naw. She would have insisted on leaving if it was really that important."

"I hope so," I said, talking more to myself.

I walked straight past Ben and into the bathroom, shutting the door quietly behind me. I turned the water on as hard as it would go, waiting for a few seconds to start warming up before I started to get undressed. I peeled the long, dark grey cloak off from around my body, and threw it into the laundry hamper near the bath tub. My damp work suit followed. It was a little difficult managing my clothes with only one hand—my other one was really starting to ache now—but the instant I stepped underneath the hot water, I felt much better. The heat washed away all of the tension in my shoulders, allowing me to relax for what felt like the first time in nearly three days. My workload had been extremely intimidating as of late; I was working on about five cases at once, and the need for attention to every, single detail was really starting to stress me out.

I lost track of time standing there under the running water with my eyes shut. I didn't know how long I'd been in there, but by the time I'd finished, changed into something comfortable and found a suitable bandage to support my wrist until I could get an appointment with my doctor tomorrow, it was already ten-thirty. I raced into the kitchen to quickly prepare some hot coffee, and I managed to find some sweet biscuits amongst the jungle of food that was in our food cupboard. I didn't know why I felt so hyper as I raced to get everything ready. I wrote my reaction off as excitement. It wasn't until that moment that I realized how much I missed Bella and the rest of the Cullen's. I wondered hopefully if they were coming with her? Ben—who had been previously watching the news—followed me into the kitchen and watched my preparations with speculative eyes.

"Someone's a little keyed up," he noted with a wry smile.

I didn't say anything, I just smiled—ecstatic—back at him.

He helped me take everything out to the coffee table, and just as I was tidying away the last few things were lingering around, a quiet knock at the door kicked my heart into overdrive. I walked quickly over to grab it so she wouldn't be left standing out in the rain for too long. I fumbled with the deadbolt a little before I finally managed to wretch the stupid thing open, and there she was, standing like an angel in the halo of our porch light.

"Bella!" I sang, throwing my arms around her shoulders. She was dry now; her arms and shoulders covered in a very thick, blue sweater. It was strange…she must have just put it on; her skin still felt icy through the woollen fabric.

She stiffened, surprised by my reaction, but then she laughed; the sound reminded me more of a small choral of bells.

"Hello," she greeted me in a voice that was not completely her own—it held that wonderful, velvety texture I'd heard more from her husband and sister-in-law. I supposed that after living with them constantly as she did, it was bound to rub off on her sometime. "How are you feeling now?"

I pulled back to give her a grateful smile. I was amazed again by just how _different_ she seemed, and yet, still almost exactly the same. The changes were subtle, I noticed. Her whole face seemed more sharply defined, every angle of her stunning expression was perfect. Bella had always been thin, but her willowy frame was somehow intensified, like she was so fragile that the wind might blow her away. Her eyes were still brown but now contained an eerie yellow tinge that seemed to dance about just beneath the surface, as if the brown was just a mask.

"I'm feeling much better, thanks to you," I said serenely, making my way over to the couch. Ben followed, sitting down next to me quietly. "Please, come in and make yourself at home."

"I'm glad to hear it," she said, smiling brilliantly. "I was worried about you for a while there. How's your wrist?"

"It's fine," I told her immediately, not wanting to make a fuss. It was aching quite a lot, but I'd taken some Tylenol for the pain while I was in the kitchen hurriedly throwing some snacks together. It was bound to kick in soon. Absently, I noticed Ben had inconspicuously left the room, to give Bella and I some time to ourselves, I assumed. I smiled to myself, momentarily distracted by the rather sweet gesture. I would have to make it up to him later.

Bella eased back into the sofa, but she still seemed anxious or stressed for some reason I couldn't imagine. Her eyes were wide and alert, her hands clamped shut into tight fists on her knees. With an incredible swell of guilt, I realized what it probably was; maybe the plans she'd cancelled in order to come here really _were_ that important.

"I'm sorry," I started, the words tumbling out of my mouth before I even really knew what I was saying.

Bella didn't relax her position but her sharp eyes zeroed in on my face, confused. "For what?"

"For making you cancel whatever important things you had to do before. You did say that you had to leave, but I insisted…I'm _so _sorry, Bella!"

She started back at me blankly, the shock plain on her face. She blinked once, then hurriedly began to speak—I could barely catch it all she was speaking so rapidly. "No, n, no, no…you have it all wrong, Angela. My plans weren't important at all, and I'm sorry if I seem a little…on edge. I didn't mean to make you feel upset. I'm just…tense, that's all. I was…hiking and camping with Edward and Alice before, and I didn't…I forgot to make sure I'd properly cleaned up my mess after I'd…eaten. It sounds silly, I know, but I don't want the other hikers to find it; it's a natural reserve, and leaving scraps of food around can attract the bears…" she trailed off into awkward silence, her eyes averting quickly to the ground, chagrined.

I just nodded along, slightly overwhelmed by how intense her stare had been moments before, almost like her eyes were on fire. She relaxed somewhat, but her position still remained tense. She breathed in a little shakily, and I reached over to place a comforting hand—the one that wasn't broken—on hers. Just like the rest of her skin, it was icy cold. She didn't seem to be warming up—that had me panicking a little.

"Sorry," she apologized, leaning forward to smile reassuringly at me. Her perfume struck me then—a beautiful, heady mixture of lavender and freesia with a sweet undercurrent that I couldn't identify. It was beautiful. "I'm being pretty rude, aren't I?" She laughed then, relaxing back into the couch. "I haven't seen you in years," she continued. Her voice was very warm. "What have you been doing with yourself? You're a lawyer—that's…cool. What else has been going on?"

And so I told her about everything I'd done up until this point—about college, my studies, my wedding, my yearly visits back to Forks (which I only ran over quickly—she seemed rather uncomfortable and upset whenever I mentioned our home town; she cheered right up though when I told her about Jessica, Mike and Lauren). I laughed half-heartedly when I'd finished in under an hour, joking that my life wasn't very interesting…that surely hers must have been much better. She laughed, too, but didn't agree.

"I'm sure your life has been very interesting, and very…busy, by the sounds of it," I insisted. Bella changed right then—she was on guard and cautious almost straight away.

"Yes, it's been very busy," she agreed, clearly less eager than before. She smiled a small smile. "Work sucks."

"Psychology, though—that's different. It must be…intriguing. Learning and dealing with how the mind works."

And so she proceeded to tell me all about her job in England and how frustrating it was sometimes, trying to…_control—_was the word she'd used, which sounded a little strange—people's outlook on their life. She worked long hours as well, though it was perhaps nothing compared to the hours Edward was putting in at the hospital in London. All in all she said that it was a satisfying career, and she was very happily married—this was extremely apparent. I couldn't remember the last time I'd seen her smile so much. She ran over her college quickly—that the facilities in Juneau were modest, but the area and city was beautiful. She'd lived in a large wooden cabin with her new family. She spoke often of Alice and her designing skills—it was clear from just the way she spoke of her that she absolutely adored her sister. That she adored the whole family. I couldn't have been happier for her.

"Why are you in Seattle?" I asked her when I was sure she'd finished.

She smiled at me expectantly, and I knew from the slight tightening of her eyes that she had been expecting this question. Her cup of tea sat in front of her on the coffee table, untouched. I was slightly distracted by this—a little worried. I should have asked if she'd wanted it; she probably didn't even like tea…

"Just a family weekend getaway," she answered casually, shrugging. Her apparent nonchalance didn't match her expression, though—there was another, much more important reason for why she was here, but I didn't dare ask. Just from the way her face closed off, it was clearly a sensitive topic. "The camping facilities in Washington are the best we've come across. And it's nostalgic, of course." She laughed. "As close as one can get to Forks without actually—"

She stopped suddenly, chagrined, like she'd said something she wasn't supposed to. I thought I knew the rest of the sentence; that she was going to say _'…without actually going there'_, and I honestly wondered why she would avoid Forks, of all places. Her friends and father still lived there. I sensed that it wasn't that she _wanted _to avoid the place, but for some reason I couldn't fathom, she felt like she _couldn't _go back—like she wasn't allowed. But again, it was obvious she would say no more on the matter, so I changed the subject.

"Have you been anywhere else in Europe?" I inquired, smiling reassuringly at her. "I thought you might have, seeing as you live in London. Paris? Rome? Athens? I here it's beautiful there."

She smiled too, grateful. Her teeth sparkled, even in the dim lamp light. I stiffened. "Edward's taken me to Paris _and _Rome," she told me, rolling her eyes. "Honestly, it was a waste of time. I saw the Coliseum and the Eiffel Tower, but that's about it. I didn't get to see much else because…"—she hesitated, but not out of caution this time. She was embarrassed—"…because Edward and I never really left the hotel room," she mumbled.

"Oh," I mumbled. I could feel the heat rushing to my cheeks. Strangely enough, when I looked at Bella's face, she was rather embarrassed, but no blushing like she usually was. I wondered when that had stopped? I'd always associated that physical reaction to humiliation as part of who Bella was. It seemed beyond weird that she didn't respond that way anymore. Then again, I hadn't seen her in almost six years….It was evident just by her physical appearance that she'd obviously underdone some level of serious change, but I was only just beginning to realize that I'd never thought her capable of that change, and I couldn't understand why that was.

She laughed suddenly, breaking the awkward silence of my thoughts. "It's been wonderful all the same. As long as I'm with him and my family, it wouldn't matter if I was standing in Rome in the Colosseum or in the middle of the Arizona Desert. I will always be happy. _They_ are my home, and always will be." She smiled a brilliant, extravagant smile, the conviction in her words impossible to doubt. Her smile faded slightly after a moment, her eyes searching mine with a strange sense of longing that I couldn't understand. "I just thought you should know that I'm okay. More than okay, actually," she corrected herself quickly with a small chuckle.

"Thank you," I told her, my throat feeling oddly swollen. "For letting me know you're going to be alright. I've worried about you a lot, Bella," I confessed. "You and Alice were my best friends in high school…I thought I'd never hear from you again."

Her smile disappeared completely this time, her eyes fogging over with some enigmatic emotion that she didn't give me a chance to read before she averted her eyes to the ground, her beautiful long, brown hair falling across and concealing her face. "Well, you have now," she finally said, still looking away. "Would you do me a favour?"

"Anything," I promised her almost immediately, surprised by how quickly the word had popped out of my mouth. But did she know that there wasn't anything I wouldn't do for her? Not if I was capable. Anything that would make her happy.

She smiled at that, but it was a sad smile. "It's not much, I promise. Would you pass the 'I'm okay' message onto everyone for me back home? I would if I could, but I just…can't." Her voice broke on the last word, her expression so suddenly devastated that I automatically reached a comforting hand out to steady her. At the same time, I was wondering how she could possibly think or feel like she wasn't allowed to return home. What had happened?

I pushed my curiosity aside quickly, well aware that it wasn't my business and that if Bella wanted to share, then she would.

"Of course I'll tell them. Mike and the others have been dying to know, anyway. And I'm sure Jacob and the other boys down at La Push would love to know what's been happening with you as well. They are all still there, as far as I know."

"_Jake_?" Bella asked in quiet disbelief, her eyes shooting back up to mine with alarming intensity. Her hand came up to grasp the one I had resting on her shoulder; the pressure had my fingers turning purple. "Is he okay?"

I nodded, slightly overwhelmed. "Y-yes…as far as I know," I assured her in a shaky voice. "He's met someone, and they're very happy. I even think they're engaged, actually. I can't remember. My Dad was telling me in a passing back on Thanksgiving…"

Her eyes widened and her smile was huge—it was the most I'd ever seen her react to anything since I'd met up with her a few hours ago. Her grip loosened on my hand and I sighed, relieved as the blood rushed back through my fingers.

"_Really_?" she gushed, clearly pleased. "That's _wonderful_! I was so worried…the last time I heard he still hadn't gone home."

"It is wonderful," I agreed wholeheartedly, then hesitated, not sure if it was wise to continue. I still remembered what a sensitive topic Jacob Black had been just before Bella was about to get married. It seemed that even after all of these years, it was still just as sensitive. I wondered, with a sudden burst of intuition, if that was why she wouldn't go back? But I didn't dare ask.

"Yes," I began, watching her reaction carefully. "He was still gone for quite some time after you'd left. He came back eventually with a very pretty girl at his side. I don't remember what her name is, sorry. Everyone was very happy for him. Charlie and Billy especially."

"I should imagine," she mumbled quietly, barely managing to cover the guilt I saw glinting in her eyes. Bella swallowed hard, and when she continued, her voice had become much thicker. "I'm just so glad that he's going to be okay!" she admitted in such a quick voice that I almost didn't catch it. "He can finally be happy again. Be himself again." She was looking at me when she smiled, but I knew she wasn't _really_ looking at me. She was far away, lost in her thoughts. "That was all I ever I wanted for him. I just wanted Jacob to get better…that was all I ever…that was all he ever needed to…"

She blinked, her eyes refocusing on me now and in the few seconds she left herself vulnerable, I could see the depth of pain there in her eyes; I could see how much she really cared for and grieved the man she'd once considered to be her best friend. All the answers were there—he _definitely _was the reason she wouldn't go anywhere near Forks, and it was an unbelievably agonising sight to behold. This beautiful girl, who was so blissfully happy with her new life, was also swamped with the overwhelming sadness of leaving those she loved behind. It was only just beginning to dawn on me that she considered me as a part of that group as well, which was rather disconcerting.

"Sorry," she apologized, collapsing back into the couch, abruptly looking absolutely exhausted. "That was the equivalent of a metaphorical knife twisting in my sorest spot, if you know what I mean." She bit down hard on her bottom lip, running her hands anxiously through her hair. "What am I supposed to do now?" she mumbled to herself so quitely that I wasn't sure if that was what she really said.

"Argh! _Dammit_!" she roared suddenly, making me jump at least a foot in the air. Her fists came flying out from where they were tucked against her body and came down hard on the coffee table with a loud _bang_. I heard something shatter on the wooden floor near my feet, and when I looked down, I was surprised to find that it wasn't the table.

It was her teacup.

Bella looked down, suddenly horrified at what she'd done.

"Oh!" she gasped, dropping to her knees in a flash to pick up the pieces. "Angela, I'm so sorry!"

I was dazed, her emotional outburst and rapid change in mood leaving me more than a little confused. I shook my head to clear it, almost as horrified as she was when I noticed that my _guest _was the one stuck cleaning up the mess, and was also clearly much too distressed at having broken nothing but a two dollar porcelain cup I'd bought from Wal-Mart when I was still back in college.

"It's okay, Bella, don't worry about it," I tried to reassure her with a smile as I reached over to help her with the sharp white pieces of glass. She wasn't looking at me. "The cup was worth hardly anything."

"That's not the point!" she insisted, clearly feeling guilty. "That was a horrible thing for me to do."

"It's nothing. Really. Here," I said, holding out my hand, "give me all of that—I'll throw it out. You'll cut yourself if you're not careful."

"No, no. I've got it, don't worry. Just tell where the trash can is."

"Bella…"

"It's fine. I should do it." She jumped to her feet in an elegant twist of her legs and turned to walk into the kitchen.

I heard the tap of her boots against the tiles on the floor, and it was only when I was getting to my feet to grab a towel to clean up the spill; the lamplight glinted off its surface for only a second, but I saw it—there was still a piece wedged in-between the wooden floorboards.

"Hang on," I called, reaching down to pick it up without thinking about it. "I'll be there in a sec—_ow_!" I looked down and sure enough, I'd nicked my finger on the serrated edge. "Idiot," I grumbled under my breath. And not two seconds ago I'd just been lecturing Bella to be careful. Sigh. I wiped at the little trickle of blood that was trailing its way down arm, annoyed at myself for being so careless.

There was a strange, loud, ripping sound…I looked up to see what it was…

"NO!" someone—a man—roared behind me, making me yelp in shock, terrified. My body jerked around on the spot to see who it was so fast that my hair whipped me in the face, obscuring everything from view…

And then the world exploded.

Something rammed into me so hard and so fast that my breath was knocked clean from my lungs, sending me screeching across the wooden floor. I tried to scream—the friction burned savagely against my left arm—but it felt like my ribs were broken, and the pain of drawing a breath made me whimper. My back and head slammed hard against a wall, making my eyesight blur and whirl. Another deafening explosion that was so close to me that I could actually feel the force of it—a violent, piercing wind that slapped mercilessly against my face—had me reaching up reflexively to cover my ears, but I couldn't make my arms move. I recognised the tearing sound again in the background again, but it was much louder this time. What was happening? Where was Bella? I couldn't see anything, and there was so much pain…

"…Knew this was a bad idea!" I heard a voice—the same one from before—saying angrily in the distance. Everything was spinning, and the nausea had me close to vomiting.

"She was just trying to make things right," another said—a girl this time, I thought absently. Couldn't they see me? Couldn't they see that I needed help? I wanted to call to them, but I couldn't find my voice. I coughed and spluttered instead, the aching in my chest making it agonisingly painful. I could feel the tears running down my face.

"And nearly killed her friend in the process!" the man argued vehemently, but I was finding it hard to pay attention. Someone was approaching me; I could feel their even pace through the vibration of the floorboards. I felt an icy touch at the base of my head and I flinched away automatically.

"Sorry," someone apologised. Another man. But this voice was much deeper. Calm and authoritive. The sound of it took me back to Forks during my childhood, to the time where I'd sliced open my ankle on a piece of barbed wire when I'd been chasing a horse in a paddock. I'd had to go the hospital to get stitches. Why was I remembering this now?

"Will she be okay?" The question was asked from further back in the room, and I was surprised I could hear it. I was having to concentrate very hard.

"She's only got the one laceration on her head. It's not that serious, despite how much it's bleeding." I felt the icy touch continue its way down my chest, and I groaned when it prodded at my ribs. "As well as a few broken ribs, by the looks of things"—it moved again, this time onto my left arm. I didn't flinch away this time—the cold touch felt nice against my hot skin—"and a rather nasty burn on her forearm. She'll be okay, but she needs medical attention straight away. I can't do anything for her injuries right now, but I think a shot of morphine would help with the pain."

"She can hear us, you know," the girl said again in a quiet voice. It sounded so familiar… "She's still conscious."

"Yes," the man agreed. I felt his freezing grip clamp down tight on my arm, followed by the tell-tale prick of a needle. I didn't struggle. I had no energy left, and the pain was already starting to fade. "But she won't remember us when she wakes up."

And as I felt my consciousness slipping away despite how much I fought to maintain it, I was overcome with an overwhelming urge to prove them wrong—that I _would_ remember their voices, no matter what.

I felt the cool touch of a hand again, but this one was much smaller. Tiny, even; it didn't even cover my whole cheek. With the voice so close to ear, it was impossible _not _to recognise that wonderful and beautifully pitched soprano's tone. I fought as hard as I could against my eyelids now, desperate to match the face to the voice.

"Sorry, Angela."

And just like that, my world went black.

**A/N: **Lately, I've been reading so much bloody fanfiction where Bella's "such a beautiful, special, all-powerful vampire that can resist human blood". So, I felt like I had to do something about it. Originally, this had quite a happy ending, but unfortunately, I gave in to my sadistic side (as I usually do) and instead decided show why vampires (especially only just after a few years of immortality), never have anything to do with their old lives, and the consequences of what happens if they do. I should probably get this out of the way now, and assure you all that Angela will be fine, but there won't be another chapter from her POV. There will, however, be an assessment of her condition from another character's perspective which, I can happily tell you is...Jessica! Yes, that's right. Jessica, Lauren and Mike will be the focus of the next installement, and I'm having a hilarious time writing it (Jessica could _be_ anymore self-absorbed if she tried, in my opinion).

So, constructive criticism is very much appreciated. :) I haven't edited this yet (too lazy...anyone wanna Beta-ing job?) so if you notice any mistakes, pointing them out would make the whole editing thing much easier for me. :P Hope you enjoyed it anyway!

Warui-Usagi


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